Laundry machine



March 8, 1938.

N. S' I'RAMAGLIA 1 LAUNDRY MACHINE Filed April 2, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet J INVENTO)\.

fl jcoja S/ram aylja HIS ATTORNEY.

March 8, 1938. N sTRAMAGLlA 2,110,246

LAUNDRY MACHINE Filed April 2, 1956 2 Shets-Sheet 2 4e 14 l 12 I 'INYENTOR.

f Q 13 Vicolfl/ .ffira/mz ylza mnu 7 H15 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 8, 1938 T ITE 'ATES PATENT GFFICE.

1'7 Claims.

This invention relates to laundry machines.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved laundry machine which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and efficient in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved laundry machine of the combination washer and extractor type.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved device for raising and lowering the tumbler of such a laundry machine.

A further object of the present invention is to construct a laundry machine of the combination washer and extractor type in such a man- -ner that when the cylinder whichcontains the tumbler is in upright or vertical position, it will be suspended upon flexible cables or supports for the extracting operation.

Another object of the present invention is to construct the new laundry machine in such a manner that the amount of vibration caused by the same whenit is in upright position will be reduced to a minimum.

Additionalobjects of the invention are: to provide a novel anti-tipping device for preventing one end portion of the cylinder from tipping downwardly when the cylinder is in horizontal position; to provide novel shut-01f devices for stopping the operation of the lift or turntable operating motor; and to provide an improved door on the tumbler.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by refer- .ence to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a preferred form of the new laundry machine;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same on line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view showing the manner of attaching the flexible supporting cables to the carriage by means of which the cylinder and tumbler are raised and lowered;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged central'longitudinal sectionalview of the new machine;

"Fig. 5 is a sectional detail 'view showing the main bearing for the extractor;

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view, on line 66 in Fig. 4, with a part of the wall'of the cylinder broken away to show the construction of the tumbler;

Fig. 7 is a detail plan view showing the antitipping device for supporting one end of the cylinder in raised position;

Fig. 8 is a sectional detail View on line 88 in Fig. 1, showing one of the shut-off devices for 5 the turntable-operating motor;

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of the trackway, on line 9-9 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on line I0-!0 in Fig. 2, showing the drums for operating the cable by means of which the tumbler and cylinder are raised and lowered.

A preferred form of the new laundry machine is shown in the drawings, is therein generally indicated at E0, and comprises a supporting frame H. Mounted upon the supporting frame it is a motor 12 and associated with the motor !2 is a train of gears l3, this train of gears 13 including a gear M. This gear 14 projects through an opening [5 which is formed in the wall of a 20 cylinder or housing I6 and this gear 44 meshes with a ring gear H which is mounted upon a shaft l8 which extends centrally through the cylinder 16 and supports the tumbler 2i. The 25 gear l4 meshes with the ring gear ll when the cylinder I6 is in horizontal position, as in Fig. 4. Provided in the bottom wall of the cylinder 1 6 is a drain outlet 45 and connected to this outlet 45 is a drain pipe or conduit 46 (Fig. 4)

The cylinder is provided at the sides thereof with trunnions 53 (Figs. 1 and 2) and these trunnions 53 are rotatably journaled in bearings 54 which are formed in the supporting frame l I.

The central tumbler-supporting shaft [8 is journaled at one end inv a bearing l9 which forms a support for the shaft 18 when the latter is in extracting position (Fig. 5) and mounted on the shaft l8 within the casing 16 is the tumbler 2! which includes a plurality of compartments 65 (Fig. 6), access to which is provided by door 22 which is slidably mounted on the body of the tumbler 2|. Associated with the shaft 18 is a clutch 23 (Fig. 4) and associated with this clutch 23 is a shaft 24 (Fig. 4) which is operated by a motor 26 which is arranged in a portion 25 of the cylinder 16.

The new laundry machine I0 includes an arcuately curved trackway or guideway 2'! (Fig. 1), and arranged at intervals along this trackway 21 are guide rollers 28. Working over these guide rollers 28 are flexible cables. 29, the ends of these cables 29 being attached, as at 30 and 3| (Fig. 1), to opposite sides of a carriage 32 which is slidably mounted upon the trackway 21,

The trackway 21 includes spaced rails 66 (Fig. 2), and the carriage 32 includes guide rollers: 33 which travel on the rails 66 of the trackway 21. The carriage 32 also includes a guide roller 34 which coacts with a stationary guide roller 67 to guide one cable 35 in its path of movement.

Mounted on the trackway 21, adjacent the upper end of the latter, are pulleys 36 and 68 (Figs. 1 and 10) which are driven by a train of gears 31, and the gear train 31 is. in turn driven by a motor 38. The motor 38 is of the reversible type, which is of conventional design and provided with a suitable hand control device, generally indicated at 4I, which includes a depending cord or flexible element 39 for starting the motor in one direction. and a depending cord or flexible element 46 for starting the motor in an opposite direction. 3

Attached to the cylinder I6 at intervals radially ther'earound, and extending longitudinally or axially thereof, on the outer or peripheral surface thereof (Figs. 1, 4, and 6), are flexible supporting elements in the form of cables 42, one end portion of each of these cables being attached, as at 43 (Figs. 1 and 3), to the carriage 32, and the other end portion of each of the cables 42 being attached, as at M, to the cylinder I6 (Fig. 4).

Pivotally mounted, as at 41 (Fig. '7), on one of the horizontally extending supporting rails 48 of the supporting frame II is an operating member or handle 56 for an anti-tipping device which is generally indicated at 49 (Fig. '7) This antitipping device 49 includes a link I which is pivotally connected at one end, as at 69 (Fig. '7), to the handle 56, the other end portion of the link 70 being pivotally connected, as at 'II,to a lever I2. This lever 12 is pivotally mounted upon the other supporting rail 48 and has an arm I3 which engages under a flange or projection 14 which is formed in the cylinder I6.

Mounted on the trackway 21, adjacent the upper end of .the latter, is a shut-01f switch 55 for the lift motor 38. This shut-off switch 55 includes an actuating member 56 which is pivotally mounted between its ends, as at 51 (Fig. 8), upon the trackway 2?. This switch-actuating member 56 includes an end portion 58, and this end portion 58 is normally urged by a spring 15 into engagement with a resilient contact 59 so as to urge the contact 59 into engagement with a contact 60 (Fig. 8), and thereby close the switch 55, for a purpose to be described presently.

'Slidably mounted in a wall 16 of the housing I6 (Fig. 4) is a switch-operating member M (Fig. 4), and this switch-operating member 6| is engageable with a resilient contact 62 so as to move the latter out of engagement with a contact 63, these parts, that is, the contacts 62 and 63, and the operating member 6I, forming a shut-off switch for the lift motor 38.

The cylinder I6 has an extension H which houses the main bearing I 9 for the shaft l8 when the latter is in vertical position (Fig. and formed in this housing 'I'! is a pocket 64 which adapted to contain oil for the bearing I9.

Operation In the use of the new laundry machine, the washing operation is performed, as is well understood the art, when the cylinder I6 and the tumbler 2! are in horizontal position (as in Fig. 4, full line position, Fig. 1), and in this position of the parts the tumbler ZI is rotated by the motor I2 through the train of gears l3I4-I'I and shaft I8.

After the washing operation has been completed and it is desired to move the cylinder I6 and tumbler 2| into vertical or upright position (as in dotted lines, Fig. 1), this may be accomplished by pulling the starting cord 39 for the motor control device 4!, thereby starting the motor 38. When the motor 38 is thus set in operation, it will act through the gear train 31 to operate the drums 36 and 68, thereby rotating the drums 36 and 68 in a direction to pull upwardly upon the lower run 64 of the cable 29 (Fig. 1), thus raising the carriage 32 along the trackway 2'1 As the carriage 32 is thus raised along the trackway 27, it acts through the flexible cables 42 to pivot the cylinder I6 and the tumbler 2i upon the trunnions and bearings 53-54 into vertical position, and as the cylinder I6 and tumbler 2i are moved into vertical or extracting position, the trunnions 53 are lifted out of the troughshaped bearings 54 and are supported or suspended from the trackway 21 by means of the flexible cables 42, and the carriage 32, whereupon the motor 26 may be set in operation so as to rotate the tumbler 2| through the medium of the shaft 24, clutch 23, and shaft I 8.

Just prior to the time that the carriage 32 reaches the upper limit of its movement, it en-' gages the switch-operating member 56 and pivots the latter against the action of the spring 15 (clockwise, from fullto dotted line position, Fig. 8), thereby pivoting the end portion 58 of the switch-operating member 56 out of engagement with the contact 59, whereupon the latter will move, under the force of its own resiliency out of engagement with the contact 66, thus opening circuit to the lift motor 38. In this manner the lift motor 33 is automatically stopped and the cylinder I6 and tumbler 2i are stopped in their vertical position, and the carriage 32 is prevented from overrunning the trackway 27.

After the drying operation has been completed and it is desired to lower the cylinder I6 and tumbler 2| into horizontal position, this may be accomplished by pulling the cord 40 so as to reverse the direction of rotation of the lift motor 38 and the pulleys 36 and 68, whereupon the motor 38 will act through the gear train 3! and pulleys 36 and 68 to pull upon the upper run 35 of the flexible element 29, whereupon the latter will act to pull the carriage 32 downwardly (from dotted to full line position, Fig. 1), along the trackway 2?, thereby moving the cylinder I6 and the tumbler 2i into lowered position. During this operation of lowering the cylinder I6 and tumbler 2|, the trunnions 53, which are carried by the cylinder I6, drop into the open or troughshaped bearings 54, so that the tumbler 2i mayagain be rotated by the motor I2 in horizontal position; it being noted that one end portion of the cylinderlt is held in horizontal position and is prevented from tipping by the engagement of the lever I3 under the flange or lug I4 which is formed in the wall of the cylinder I6 (Figs. 6 and '7), the lever 13 being operated by means of the handle 50 and link 10.

As the cylinder I6 reaches its horizontal position (Fig. 4), the wall I6 of the cylinder I6 likewise moves into horizontal position, and the switch-operating member 6| which extends through the wall 16 engages a supporting member which forces the member 6i into engagement with the contact 6Z,thereby moving the latter out of engagement withthe contact 63, thereby opening circuit to the motor 38 and thus stopping the cylinder it and tumbler 2! in their horizontal position and preventing the carriage 32 from :overrunning the track 21.

When the cylinder l6 and tumbler 21 are in raised position, they are suspended by the flexible cables i2, and when the tumbler 2| is 1'0- tated' in this vertical position, vibration is reduced to a minimum by reason of its suspension by the flexible supporting elements 42; the main bearing i 9 for the tumbler shaft i8 being adequately lubricated by the oil contained inthe pocket t4 (Fig. 5).

Tortional and gyrating effects due to the revolving of the tumbler are thus not transmitted to the bearings 53 when the tumbler is rotated in vertical position.

action of centrifugal force, when the tumbler 2! 25 is in operation.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construcguide means having an overhead portion disposed at a height above said mounting means and having a lower portion extending downwardly to a lower level than said overhead portion, traveling means movable back and forth over said guide means, means for moving the traveling means as aforesaid, and means operatively attaching said cylinder to said traveling means constructed and arranged in such a way that when said traveling means is disposed at said lower level on the guide said cylinder will be pivoted thereby into substantially horizontal position, and when said traveling means is moved onto said overhead portion of the guide means, said cylinder will be pivoted into substantially vertical position as aforesaid and lifted clear of said mounting means.

2. In a laundry machine, a cylinder removably trunnioned in open bearings for pivotal movement from a normal horizontal position into upright position, a tumbler rotatable in the cylinder, mechanism operatively connected with the tumbler when said cylinder is in said normal position for rotating said tumbler, a track extending substantially from the level of said cylinder in said normal position to a higher level adequate for the suspension therefrom of said cylinder, means movable on said track between said levels and having attachment with said cylinder such that the latter is lifted free from said bearings when said movable means is moved to said higher track level, together with mechanism for driving said movable means on the track.

3. A-laundry machine including a cylinder having a rotatable drum therein, trunnion means normally mounting said cylinder with its axis disposed in the horizontal, stationary driving means operatively connected with said drum when said cylinder is disposed with its axis in the horizontal as aforesaid for rotating said drum, an arcuate track having an upper end disposed at a height above said trunnion means and having a lower end terminating substantially at the level of said trunnion means, a traveler 910 movable back and forth from the lower to the upper end of said track, flexible cable means of substantially fixed length attached to said one endof the cylinder and to said traveler and said track being so constructed as to extend from a lower .to a higher level above said trunnion means and effective when said traveler is moved toward the upper end of said track to lift said cylinder free of said trunnion means and suspend the same in space, means for rotating said drum when said cylinder is in suspended position, and means for moving said traveler up and down on the track.

4.. A laundry machine in accordance with claim 3 and further characterized by the provision of automatic control means operable by said traveler for stopping the latter when the same is moved toward predetermined positions at opposite ends of said track.

5. In a laundry or like machine having 2, cylinder, bearing means mounting said cylinder for pivotal movement and means for pivoting said cylinder from a horizontal to a vertical position, said means including a track having a substantially vertically extending component and an overhead component at a height above said cylinder, carriage means on said track and having connection with an end of said cylinder and operable to pivot the latter into upright position by movement of the carriage onto said overhead component of the track, and means for moving said carriage back and forth on said track.

6. In a laundry machine, a supporting frame, a cylinder removably trunnioned upon the said supporting frame for movement into and from both horizontal and vertically raised position, said frame including a track eccentric to the axis of pivotation of said cylinder and having an upper reach at a height above said frame adequate for suspension of said cylinder therefrom, a tumbler rotatably mounted in said cylinder, means for rotating the tumbler in said cylinder when the latter is in horizontal position, means for raising the cylinder and the tumbler into Vertically suspended position relative to said frame including a carriage movable on said track from a horizontally lowered to raised position above said frame, power driven means for moving said carriage on said track, and flexible supporting elements attached to said carriage and.

and pivotally mounted upon open bearings in:

the supporting frame for movement into and from both horizontal and vertically raised posi tion, means for rotating the tumbler in said cylinder when the latter is in horizontal position, mechanism for moving the cylinder into verti- I cally raised position, said mechanism including an upright arcuate trackway having an upper reach disposed at a distance above said frame adequate for suspension of the cylinder therefrom, a carriage movable along the trackway, flexible means attaching an end region of said cylinder to said carriage, driving means for moving the carriage along the trackway whereby when the said carriage is positioned on the uppermost reaches of said trackway said cylinder will be suspended by said flexible means and said carriage from said trackway and free from said bearings, said driving means having manually controlled reversible starting mechanism, together with mechanism operableby said carriage as the latter moves toward its upper limit of travel to render said driving means inefiective, and mechanism actuated by said cylinder as the latter approaches horizontal position; likewise operable to rendersaid driving means inefiective when-the latter has been started by the aforesaid reversible starting mechanism.

8. In a laundry machine, a supporting frame, a cylinder removably trunnioned upon said frame for movement into and from a horizontal and a vertically raised position, said cylinder including a rotatable tumbler, means for rotating the tumbler in the cylinder when both the latter are in horizontal position, means for guiding and moving the cylinder into a vertically raised position and including a trackway disposed eccentrically of the pivotal axis of said cylinder and having an upper and lower reach, said upper reach being at a height sumcient for the suspension of said cylinder-free of said frame, mechanism for raising the cylinder into vertically raised position and including a carriage movable on the trackway, means flexibly attaching the said cylinder to said carriage, driving means for moving said carriage on said trackway, whereby when the said carriage is positioned in the upper reach of said track- Way the said cylinder will be suspended from a point adjacent the upper extremity of said trackway by means of said carriage and the said flexible attaching means, together with mechanism for rotating the said tumbler in the cylinder when thelatter is in said vertically raised position.

9. In a laundry machine, a supporting frame, a cylinder pivotally mounted upon the supporting frame for movement into and from both horizontal and vertically raised position, said cylinder including a rotatable tumbler therein, means for rotating the tumbler in the cylinder when the latter is in horizontal position, means for guiding the cylinder into vertical position including a vertically curved trackway, means for mov ing the cylinder into vertically raised position and for lowering the same into horizontal position, said means including a carriage movable along the trackway, means flexibly attaching the cylinder to said carriage, driving means for moving said carriage along said trackway and including a reversible motor, manual reversingswitch means for starting said motor in opposite directions at different times, and automatic switch means operable by said carriage as it approaches the limit of its upwardly directed travel to stop said motor, together with means including a member on said supporting frame and switch means on said cylinder for automatically stopping said motor as said cylinder approaches the limit of travel toward horizontal position.

10. In a laundry machine, a cylindena tumbler rotatable within the cylinder, means for supporting the cylinder in a horizontal position, means for rotating the tumbler in the cylinder when both of the latter are in horizontal position, means for moving the cylinder into vertically raised position, a vertically extending suptically raised position, together with means for rotating the tumbler in the cylinder when both of the latter are in vertically raised position.

11. In a laundry machine, a support, a cylinder pivotally seated between its ends in open bearings on said support, a tumbler rotatably mounted within said cylinder, means for supporting the cylinder in horizontal position, means for rotating the tumbler in the cylinder when both of the latter are in horizontal position, means arranged at an end of the cylinder for latching the latter in horizontal position to prevent tipping, means for raising the cylinder into vertically suspended position, said means including a vertically extending support having an overhead reach, means including a trolley-like member movable on said vertically extending support and having flexible means attached to said cylinder, and means including motor driven mechanism drivingly connected by flexible means to said trolley-like member for moving the latter on said vertically extending support, together with manually operable means for initiating the operation of said motor to move said trolley member into vertically raised or horizontally lowered position and automatic means operable to stop said motor when said trolley member approaches the limit of travel toward vertically raised or horizontally lowered position. i

, 12. In a device of the class described a support, a cylinder removably trunnioned on said support and pivotable from horizontal to vertical position about an axis transverse to the axis of the cylinder, a tumbler in the said cylinder, mechanism operatively connected with said tumbler for rotating the same when said cylinder is in horizontal position, an arcuate trackway disposed eccentrically of said pivotal axis of the cylinder, a traveler on said trackway, flexible attaching cables of determined length attached to an end region of said cylinder and to said traveler, motor means operable to move said traveler back and forth between extreme positions on said trackway, the radial distance between said trackway and said pivotal axis being greater when measured to one of said extreme positions than when measured to the other said extreme position and the lesser said radial distance being equal to the distance between said pivotal axis and said traveler, together with means for rotating said tumbler in said cylinder when the latter is in vertical position. 7

13. In a laundry machine, a cylinder removably trunnioned inv open bearings for pivotal movement from a, normal horizontal position into upright position, a tumbler rotatable in the cylinder, mechanism operatively connected with the tumbler when said cylinder is in said normal position for rotating said tumbler, a track extending substantially from the level of said cylinder in said normal position to a higher level adequate for the suspension therefrom of said cylinder, means movable on said track between said levels and having attachment with said cylinder such that the latter is lifted free from said bearings when said movable means is moved to said higher track level, together with mechanism for driving said movable means on the track, automatic control means for stopping said driving means as said movable means approaches predetermined upper and lower positions on said track, and means for rotating said tumbler in said cylinder when the latter is in raised position as aforesaid.

14. A laundry machine having a cylinder cradled in open bearing means in such manner that it can be raised and lowered into and out of the same, means normally positioning said cylinder in said bearings with its axis in a horizontal plane, said cylinder having a tumbler therein, driving means arranged externally of said cylinder and having operative connection with said tumbler to rotate the same when the cylinder is in said normal horizontal position, a track extending from a height above said bearings adequate for the suspension of the cylinder therefrom free from said bearing means, said track having a lower portion extending substantially to the level of said bearing means, carriage means movable over said track and having said cylinder attached thereto for lifting thereby out of said bearings when said carriage is moved to said upper portion of the track, and driving means in said cylinder for rotating said tumbler independently of said first-mentioned driving means.

15. The device of claim 14 further characterized by the provision of manually started automatically reversible driving means for said carriage and automatic control means operably controlled by said carriage when the latter moves toward a predetermined position on said track to stop said last-mentioned driving means and the carriage.

16. In a laundry machine, a cylinder, bearing means removably mounting said cylinder with its axis in a substantially horizontal plane, a rotatable drum in said cylinder, means for rotating said drum when said cylinder is in substantially horizontal position, and means for removing said cylinder from said bearing means and suspending the same freely in space, said means including a track extending from a point above said bearing means downwardly substantially to the level of said plane, a traveler movable back and forth on said track, power means for moving said traveler as aforesaid and flexible means attaching an end region of said cylinder to said traveler, the upper portion of said track being at a height above said bearing means such that when said traveler moves to the upper end of the track said cylinder will be pivoted into vertical position and lifted out of said bearing means, said cylinder having mechanism therein for rotating said drum when the latter is in raised position as aforesaid.

17. A laundry machine having a cylinder and open bearing means mounting said cylinder with its long axis normally extended in the horizontal, a drum mounted for rotation in said cylinder, driving mechanism in said cylinder for rotating said drum, driving means exterior of said cylinder for rotating said drum independently of said first driving means, an arcuate track structure having an upper reach above said open bearing means and a lower reach descending substantially to the level of said bearing means, a traveler movable on said track back and forth from the upper to the lower end thereof, flexible cable means attaching an end region of said cylinder to said traveler and of a length adequate, when the traveler is moved to the upper reach of said track, to lift said cylinder out of said bearing means and suspend the cylinder in space, together with reversible driving mechanism for moving said traveler back and forth on said track.

NICOLA STRAMAGLIA. 

